


A Peaceable Jog

by Rosie2009



Series: The Chronicles of Chlodine's Friendship [1]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27239221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosie2009/pseuds/Rosie2009
Summary: After Nadine drags Chloe out for a jog, the Australian finds herself rather exhausted, and ends up talking her best friend into stopping for a while and getting ice cream. Childhoods are discussed, and Nadine enjoys her chocolate treat a little too much. Nadine Ross and Chloe Frazer friendship/platonic feels.
Relationships: Chloe Frazer & Nadine Ross
Series: The Chronicles of Chlodine's Friendship [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988830
Kudos: 2





	A Peaceable Jog

“Hey, you need me to slow down a little?” Nadine called, looking over her shoulder and slowing down as she turned to face Chloe. Chloe came to a gradual stop in her forward movement, furrowing her brow and trying to reduce her madly flying heartrate. Nadine jogged back to Chloe, a somewhat concerned expression etched into her features as she eyed the other woman.

“No, what gave you---phew…. What gave you that idea?” Chloe questioned, out of breath as bent over and held her knees as she tried to keep her breath under control. Nadine smirked slightly, crossing her muscular arms over her chest as she looked at the Australian. While Chloe was sure that she was surely a rather pitiful sight right now, she still had to keep a reputation by at least attempting to deny the unsaid accusation.

Nadine had asked Chloe to accompany her on one of her regular jogs, insisting that Chloe needed to get out of the apartment and that Chloe needed to get more in shape anyway since they were in-between jobs and had some downtime.

Since Chloe and Nadine had begun a permanent partnership in business, they had been increasingly doing everything together, including living in the same apartment as roommates. It was an interesting adjustment, and Chloe had found that she really enjoyed it. She oftentimes noted that Nadine seemed to feel the same.

But nevertheless, Nadine had practically dragged Chloe out of the apartment, and despite how Chloe might feel about the entire ordeal, the Australian decided to just go along with it. After all, when she finally agreed, Nadine seemed extremely happy, and Chloe just couldn’t say no to her best friend when Nadine looked so giddy about the idea.

“You look kind of tired,” Nadine pointed out, unable to keep the teasing glow out of her voice with her smile. Chloe rolled her eyes, despite the fact that she was pleased with Nadine’s amusement that was so opposite of her usual self. Of course, since her and Nadine had been living together, Chloe had been slowly dragging out the playful side of Nadine that actually was warm and even affectionate at times.

“Nah, nah, I’m not tired,” Chloe protested, straightening up and purposefully lightening her breaths even though she felt as if she might burst with the pure need for air to enter her lungs.

Nadine raised an eyebrow skeptically, a smug smile still settled across her lips. Chloe shot back her own halfhearted glare.

“I was just trying to give you a little confidence boost, china,” Chloe nonchalantly told the former mercenary with a small grin playing across her face as she hoped to convey some semblance of self-assuredness.

“Uh-huh. Is that like when you wanted me to have a go at something on our Tusk of Ganesh trip when I actually figured out something you didn’t?” Nadine asked, and Chloe shook her head, taking one last giant gulp of fresh air before deciding that she was through giving Nadine the satisfaction of seeing her pathetically panting in exhaustion.

“Goodness… This is what I get when I genuinely try to let you feel important,” Chloe indignantly acknowledged aloud, forcing her voice to have more control than it actually possessed right now, and Nadine just snorted, still seeming very much entertained by the Australian.

“Oh, don’t worry. You let me feel like I was something, alright. More in-shape, that’s for sure,” Nadine commented with a chuckle, and Chloe just looked at Nadine with a calculating gaze, smirking a little.

“Y’know, I think I’m rubbing off on you,” Chloe commented slyly, and Nadine just tilted her head slightly in question, her ponytail shifting with the movement.

“How so?”

“It’s just that… You’re becoming sassier and sassier every day. I have taught you well, young grasshopper,” Chloe grinned widely, referencing the _Karate Kid_ , and Nadine rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Chloe took a deep breath, looking around the park as she surveyed the area.

However, before long, she caught sight of something quite interesting indeed. Or at least interesting to an exhausted young woman needing some relief from the heat. Chloe stepped forward so that she was parallel with Nadine and the South African turned to face the same direction as Chloe.

“Huh,” Chloe spoke aloud after a long moment, and Nadine furrowed her brow, looking at Chloe curiously.

“What?” Nadine questioned, and Chloe pointed to the object of her attentions.

“Whaddya say to a nice, cold cone?” Chloe asked, and Nadine followed her extended hand to see the ice cream cart not too far from them. Nadine scoffed as she looked at Chloe with a slight smile.

“Seriously?” Nadine seemed thoroughly unimpressed with the Australian’s suggestion.

“Of course. When am I not serious?” Chloe grinned widely, bumping Nadine’s shoulder with her own. Nadine rolled her eyes and returned the bump in that brusque yet affectionate manner that could only be fully captured by Nadine Ross.

“Too often,” Nadine commented, and Chloe just raised an eyebrow with that persistent smile on her face. Nadine looked between Chloe and the ice cream cart, and Chloe poked her lip out, deciding to put on a real show just to mess with Nadine.

“Pwease?” Chloe talked in a manner resembling a little child, and Nadine just laughed at her.

“What are you? Five?” Nadine asked.

“Well, if it gets me ice cream, then sure,” Chloe replied breezily, and Nadine shook her head. Chloe pressed her shoulder to Nadine’s, and Nadine just sighed.

“Fine. But you’re paying for it,” Nadine conceded finally, pointing at the older woman, and Chloe pretended to be offended as they walked toward the cart with a closeness and familiarity that they had slowly been developing over time.

“Shame on you. Making a five-year-old girl pay for ice cream,” Chloe disapprovingly told the former mercenary.

“Ja. I’m horribly ashamed. Can you get me chocolate?” Nadine grinned, looking the complete opposite of anything that could slightly be labelled as ashamed.

“Oh, and who says I’m getting you any? This whole thing is about getting me some,” Chloe challenged lightly, and Nadine just shrugged.

“Fine, fine. But if you don’t get me any, I’ll drag you out of the bed to do early morning jogs,” Nadine told her, and Chloe immediately paid attention, knowing that the woman was dead serious. And Chloe hated to get up early in the morning.

Chloe was only a morning person when she absolutely had to be. Unless it was an emergency or she was on an expedition, she did not have much reason to go and get out of bed early.

Nadine, on the other hand, was some sort of machine. She woke up at perfectly seven o’clock in the morning every single morning without fail, and whenever Chloe ended up dragging herself out of the bed at ten o’clock or later, Nadine always was doing something as she waited for the Australian to make breakfast. In fact, Nadine had actually started to eat a bowl of cereal in the mornings so that she could hold out until Chloe made a real breakfast, being that the South African could not cook at all.

“Chocolate it is, then!” Chloe declared, and Nadine just smirked a bit as they approached the person at the cart. She wasted no time in ordering chocolate for Nadine and some strawberry for herself.

“Wow. I can’t believe this is so good,” Nadine spoke aloud, and Chloe raised an eyebrow as they went over and settled on a nearby bench. Nadine leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, and Chloe was simply leaning back against the bench.

“I can’t believe you blackmailed me. And what do you mean? Ice cream is always good,” Chloe told her, licking around the edge of her cone in an attempt to keep the chilly treat from melting over the side.

“Ja, I just haven’t had it in forever,” Nadine nonchalantly replied, and Chloe could hear the slightly sad undertone of the statement as the South African licked away at the ice cream. Chloe tilted her head slightly, studying Nadine’s profile with slight surprise.

“Really?”

“Yes… Why do you seem so shocked?” Nadine asked, looking back to study the Australian. Chloe shrugged.

“No reason… Just… It’s surprising because I thought everybody had ice cream at least once every two weeks if not more,” Chloe commented, and Nadine huffed slightly in a silent chuckle.

“Well, not if you’re the daughter of a mercenary. Learning how to take over the family business entails staying in shape and ice cream doesn’t exactly help with that goal,” Nadine explained, and Chloe furrowed her brow, looking at the woman strangely.

“Huh. So, no fun?” Chloe questioned, not at all expecting a full agreement from Nadine. However, the other woman surprised her with her nod. Chloe’s blue-gray eyes went wide as she took in the admission. “At all?”

“It had its moments, but it wasn’t really the most carefree upbringing,” Nadine admitted, and Chloe raised an eyebrow in surprise. She looked down at her strawberry ice cream, considering the thought as she licked it carefully.

Chloe knew that Nadine’s father had been rather hard on her when she was growing up, but she did not have any idea that the former mercenary had that difficult of a time. It was actually rather depressing once she thought about it, and since Nadine had gone so quiet, Chloe couldn’t help but think that Nadine must be feeling the gloom as well.

“Y’know, if it were me, I’d have snuck out and gotten the goodies I wanted,” Chloe commented finally, trying to take this in a more uplifting direction. Without hesitation, Nadine chuckled in reply, and the Australian smiled at the victory, despite its smallness in size.

“I couldn’t, though. We lived in a really large house,” Nadine informed her, casting the other woman sideways glances as she enjoyed her ice cream, and Chloe shrugged.

“That wouldn’t have stopped me,” Chloe claimed boldly.

“Really? Not even a four-story drop?” Nadine questioned skeptically, and Chloe proudly puffed her chest a little as she prepared her answer.

“Oh, please. I was jumping from four-story drops down onto trampolines all throughout my teenage years. It’s the best way to make a quick getaway,” Chloe expressed, and Nadine looked at her in conflicted emotion that hugged the border between intrigued and disgusted.

“I won’t ask from what,” Nadine finally attempted to cut Chloe’s line of conversation off, and Chloe knew what Nadine must have been thinking.

“But the stories I could tell, china,” Chloe allowed herself to speak somewhat wistfully, mostly just to aggravate Nadine. Chloe had not actually jumped out of four-story buildings to escape from anything particularly shady. She might have been guilty of bringing her friends cigarettes and having to get out fast, but other than that, she had been a perfect angel.

“I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other people to tell about them,” Nadine somewhat dismissively told her best friend, and Chloe pouted a bit as she took a big bite into her cone.

“Aw, but you’re my favorite one to tell about them,” Chloe whined a little, her mouth full, and Nadine raised an eyebrow, but Chloe could see the slightest hint of a smile on the other woman’s face. Her posture had also loosened up a bit, and Chloe considered that alone to be one of the greatest compliments Nadine could offer, despite the subconsciousness of the action.

“You just like to mess with me. You’re messing with me right now,” Nadine informed Chloe, starting into her cone as she chewed it carefully.

“Oh, so it’s working, then?” Chloe smirked, and Nadine just lightly shoved Chloe’s knee.

“Goodness, no need to man-handle me. Leave that to the guys,” Chloe dramatically spoke, and Nadine just rested her arm on Chloe’s thigh, their bodies already close enough on the bench for it to be a comfortable armrest.

“I’ve been known to man-handle some men,” Nadine informed her, and Chloe just grinned slightly as she got more comfortable against the back of the bench, already almost finished with her treat.

However, after Nadine left her arm on Chloe’s leg, Chloe raised an eyebrow.

“I’m taking it that’s a good armrest, yeah?” Chloe questioned, and Nadine nodded. Chloe could easily spot the smirk on the other woman’s face.

“Ja,” Nadine simply replied, and Chloe nodded in mock sympathy.

“Well, I figured so, since I often rest my own arms there,” Chloe teased, and Nadine rolled her eyes, giving Chloe’s leg an affectionate push before leaning back against the bench to better look at her surroundings.

However, as Chloe was finishing up her strawberry ice cream, she noted that there was a good coating of chocolate around Nadine’s mouth.

“Wow… You sure enjoyed the ice cream, didn’t you?” Chloe asked, and Nadine glanced at her quizzically, her brow furrowed. It was all that Chloe could do not to laugh at the ordinarily so serious mercenary that currently looked so silly right now.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Chloe wasted no time in replying, very seriously considering letting Nadine walk back to their apartment with that embarrassing mess on her face.

“What?” Nadine questioned, pushing for an answer, and Chloe just chuckled, remembering the last time that she had been asked that exact question from this exact woman in that exact tone. That was just before she had been punched in the face.

But Chloe was nothing if not persistent, and she was not going to let past experience dictate the now. Especially since they had both grown their friendship since then.

So, trying to bite back any amusement and failing, Chloe replied to the other woman.

“Nothing at all,” Chloe replied to her, and knew that her smile was infecting her voice as she stood up from the bench and started to walk off. Almost immediately, she could hear Nadine’s quick footsteps behind her.

“Frazer, what’s on my face?” Chloe just grinned wider as she heard her last name. Nadine usually only called her Frazer around other people, but now that no one was paying attention, it was sort of funny that she was still calling her Frazer. It simply showed how desperate Nadine was to know about the source of Chloe’s humor.

Chloe just picked up her pace, and soon enough, they were somewhere between sprinting and jogging through town in the direction of their apartment, Chloe grinning all the way and Nadine continuously asking what was on her face when Chloe knew that Nadine could easily catch up with her if the South African wanted.

While Chloe hadn’t exactly aimed on jogging again, this was undeniably fun. With her best friend on her heels and a fresh piece of meat with which to feed the teasing beast within Chloe, the Australian couldn’t help her smile.

What could be better than this?


End file.
